Monday, June 09, 2014

Don't Call Me 'Mamacita.' I Am Not Your Mommy. : Code Switch : NPR: One of the very few things I don't miss about my native Mexico City is fending off sleazy guys calling you sabrosa (tasty) or rica (delicious) or some other insult disguised as a compliment. It's an unfortunate but everyday aspect of life in a machista country like Mexico.

Of course, women everywhere, are on the receiving end of catcalls but it happens less often in the U.S. than Mexico.

However, as my New York City neighborhood (Hamilton Heights) continues its transformation into "The Little Mexico of West Harlem," the unthinkable happened last summer.

"Mamacita!" yelled a young man -a fellow Mexican, I'm sure- as I walked by a local fruit stand.